Honestly I think "fine arts" is generally about as toxic a delusion as "common sense" tends to be used -- "fine arts" tends to be used as some arbitrary delineation to facilitate snobbery. Art is art; it's best not to compare one approach to another when they're both attempting to express some message or narrative through art.
As others have pointed out, it's best to just do what brings you fulfillment, especially since comic creation does require a large investment of time and effort. If you're not getting anything from it, don't keep doing it. If you need it to live, don't stop doing it! I could not face everyday life without artistic expression.
A last note: please don't view conventions as the be-all or end-all of success in comics. I tried them for a couple of years and found that they were largely wastes of time and money. Some indie artists have a great time at them and see huge success, but some don't, and it doesn't actually reflect poorly on those artists all of the time. Most conventions are not events that focus on the things many creators do, and it's hard to find an audience, especially if you're not dumbed down to the mainstream consumer level. The only convention I found worth the time was HeroesCon, and that's because of its strong emphasis on creators rather than just the same vendors and "names" you can find at any other show.
Regional availability of shows can also have a lot to do with it, as well as crowds, regional trends, and so much more. Conventions are a crap shoot -- they're completely random most of the time, unless you specifically choose one that you know is more suited to the work you're doing. Don't waste your time and money on conventions if they're not working out. Anyone who says you have to do conventions is wrong.
It's often best to find the methods and approaches that suit you and your comic. Find like-minded creators doing work and do exchanges with them. Collaborate with people. Maybe even come up with a collaborative work you can do with people so you can all get new, fresh readers interested at least tangentially in your focus. Advertise too -- that's a big help in getting more positive attention and better crowds.
Every artist deserves praise and support, but if it came all the time, it wouldn't be precious. Even the creators who are popularly thought of as successful don't get that constantly. And frankly, I haven't heard of more than a handful of the creators you've mentioned...and I don't really care to. I concentrate mostly on my work. The other work I read, when I have the time, is people I am acquainted with, whose work I know I like. I know I can engage them personally and it isn't going to be someone who's basically set themselves up on a pedestal (or been set up on one): untouchable, unengageable, uninteractive.
To be honest, I don't know that setting your sights on being the new comic to the block that seemingly everyone talks about or "respects" is a good operating philosophy. Most of the time, Sturgeon's Law is a pretty good assumption to work on, especially with things that are wildly popular. Popularity usually indicates that, at least to some extent, there's a general appeal for wider consumption that prevents a lot of things that appeal to those who aren't exactly in the mainstream.
Just my thoughts, though. Hope they're useful, sorry if they're not. I do hope you can work through this to a better place.